With the winning streak, the Stars are only eight points behind the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks and only four points out of a playoff spot. The top line has been amazing for the Stars, but this winning streak is largely due to the fact that Kari Lehtonen is playing out of his mind in goal for the Stars.

In his 14 games played, Lehtonen is 9-3-2 for the Stars. His 2.08 goals against average is good enough for 9th in the NHL, and he’s only .10 away from being No. 4. His .929 save percentage also has him ranked No. 9 in the league. The fact is the Stars wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for Lehtonen.

During Sunday’s win, he showed how valuable he was for Dallas. The Stars beat Vancouver 2-1, but it was thanks to Lehtonen and his 42 saves on the night. Twenty of those saves came in the second period with the Stars nursing a 1-0 lead.

With the new faces and the offense starting to click together it’s going to be the play of Lehtonen in goal that decides the fate of the Stars this year. They may not win the division but if they want a Wild Card, Lehtonen will have to be stellar between the pipes. So far, he’s doing what he needs to do.